Days after Elon Musk shared his neck surgery story, online reports claimed the tech mogul faced hospitalization for unexpected reasons. These claims sparked widespread curiosity and confusion, prompting a closer look into what actually happened.

Here, we debunk the rumors of Musk’s hospitalization and explore what actually happened.

Parody article causes fans to think Elon Musk has been hospitalized

The Onion, a well-known satire outlet, stirred Elon Musk fans by claiming in an article that the SpaceX CEO was hospitalized for severe burns. The humorous story even alleged that Musk sustained injuries while attempting to impregnate a toaster.

The parody piece prompted an array of quirky responses, with some users jokingly asserting that “fact-checking is censorship.” Many replies hinted at the absence of rigorous fact-checking on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).

While the recent hospitalization claims are entirely false, Musk did undergo neck surgery earlier this month. The 53-year-old billionaire shared updates on X, stating, “Recovering from neck surgery. Hurts a lot, but it was necessary.”

He further elaborated on X about his history of neck and back issues, explaining, “I’ve had 5 neck/back operations. The third one, a C5-C6 fusion, actually worked in improving the pain from excruciating to livable. However, the nerve exiting the right facet is inflamed, and the orifice through which it exits needed to be increased.”

Musk previously discussed his injuries on the Full Send Podcast, revealing that they stemmed from wrestling a sumo wrestler. He recounted, “I’ve actually had this for a long time… I threw this guy, a sumo wrestler, in a match. I did manage to throw him, but in doing so, I strained my neck.” Musk added that the pain persisted even after two surgeries, as he had crushed his C5-C6 disc during the match.

Since his January 12 surgery, Musk has made a swift recovery. The Tesla CEO appeared energetic on January 20 during Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States. Musk also delivered an impassioned speech to a cheering crowd at the event.